Chapter 169 Witness
"Chen He!"
Xiao Jingren could no longer hold back and shouted loudly, his voice so sharp that it almost changed its pitch.
"You're so brave!"
"Who do you think you are?!"
"How dare a mere servant like you make decisions for your majesty?!"
His eyes were red as he stared at Chen He, as if he wanted to eat her alive.
"Lu Jiuxiao spread lies to confuse the people, framed the heir to the throne, and deceived the emperor!"
"These traitors deserve the death penalty! They should be executed on the spot!!"
"How dare you deceive His Majesty and protect such a criminal? What are your intentions?!"
His voice was stern, and every word he said was filled with the urgency to kill.
However, the more anxious he was, the more exposed he became.
"presumptuous!"
A cold and angry rebuke came from the dragon throne.
The emperor's voice was not loud, but it carried the majesty of a mountain pressing down on one's head, instantly suppressing all of Xiao Jingren's shouting.
Xiao Jingren's whole body stiffened, as if struck by lightning.
He suddenly looked up and met the emperor's bottomless eyes, which were full of disappointment and coldness.
"I'm still here."
The emperor spoke each word with such clarity that his voice was so cold that it seemed as if it could freeze into ice.
"When will it be your turn to teach me how to deal with the guilty officials?"
"Father...your son..."
Xiao Jingren's lips trembled, his face turned pale, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
He knew that he had lost his composure.
He is too impatient.
He didn't dare to say another word and could only lower his head in humiliation, suppressing all his resentment and resentment deep in his heart.
The emperor's gaze shifted away from him and returned to Lu Jiuxiao.
He nodded slightly, and his tone softened a little.
"Chen He is right."
"I'll give you a chance."
"Where did you get the Purple Marrow Powder?"
"Tell the truth."
"I will protect the reputation of your entire Zhang family."
An emperor’s promise is more important than nine tripods.
Lu Jiuxiao's dead heart was instantly ignited with a spark of hope.
He suddenly raised his head, a glint of determination in his eyes.
For Gillian, for the Zhang family...
He opened his mouth, about to speak—
"His Majesty!"
A sharper and more shrill female voice cut through the entire side hall!
It’s the Queen!
She could no longer maintain the dignified demeanor of a queen mother, and suddenly stood up from her seat, her eyes wide open, and stopped him in a stern voice.
"How can we trust the words of such a heinous criminal?"
"He's clearly trying to frame someone and drag them down!"
"Your Majesty, you must not be deceived by him!"
The Queen's voice was mournful, almost tearful, and the way she was eager to cover Lu Jiuxiao's mouth only made her act more obvious.
The emperor looked at her, and the last trace of warmth in his eyes completely disappeared.
He understood.
I understand everything.
His good queen, his good son...
It turns out that this is the real protagonist of tonight's drama!
His dragon eyes, filled with raging rage, slowly swept across the pale-faced Third Prince, and then turned to the bloodless face of the Queen.
That look was cold, disappointed, and contained a hint of undisguised mockery.
It was like watching a crude farce that had been rehearsed for years.
The air was dead silent.
Everyone held their breath, and even their heartbeats seemed to be stagnant under the heavy atmosphere.
In this suffocating silence, Lu Jiuxiao, who had been kneeling on the ground, suddenly raised his head.
There was no longer any hesitation in his eyes, only the determination to go all out.
He kowtowed heavily to the emperor sitting on the dragon throne.
"Return to Your Majesty."
His voice was hoarse but extremely clear, and every word he spoke was powerful.
"The purple marrow powder I use is indeed... a gift from His Majesty the Third Prince."
boom--!
As soon as the words came out, it was like thunder from a clear sky!
There was a loud buzzing sound in Xiao Jingren's head, his vision went black in an instant, his body shook violently and uncontrollably, and he almost fell to the ground.
It’s over!
These two words echoed wildly in his mind like a spell.
"You're talking nonsense!"
The queen's shrill scream once again pierced the hall. She was like a cat whose tail was stepped on, her fur completely standing on end.
"Your Majesty! Listen! Listen!"
She pointed at Lu Jiuxiao, her fingers trembling violently with excitement, and the pearls and jade on the phoenix crown jingled and became a mess.
"How can we believe the words of this sinner?"
"He clearly listened to the instigation of that bitch Shen He!"
"He's just biting! He's trying to drag someone down with him to save himself!"
"Your Majesty, you must not trust him!"
The Queen's voice was sharp and piercing, full of desperate madness, and her eagerness to distance herself from the matter seemed more like an incrimination of herself.
However, this time, the emperor didn't even bother to give her a glance.
His eyes fell on the girl who had remained terrifyingly calm from beginning to end.
Shen He.
Chen He met everyone's gazes, took a step forward slowly, and his voice was as cold as the collision of jade.
"Empress, what are you so anxious about?"
She smiled faintly, but that smile was colder than winter ice.
"Your Majesty is wise and will make his own decisions. How could you condemn the Third Prince based on the words of one person?"
She paused, then changed the subject, looking directly at the emperor sitting on the dragon throne.
"Your Majesty, purple marrow ore is incredibly hard and has a gorgeous color. It is indeed a rare and excellent raw material for refining divine weapons. However, it is also extremely toxic to the human body!"
"At the end of the previous dynasty, a powerful official discovered that refining purple marrow ore into powder and incorporating it into the human bloodstream through a special technique would not only not cause any abnormalities in the early stages, but could even stimulate the body's potential, granting it immense strength."
"But over time, those who are poisoned by this poison will suffer mental damage, their thoughts will become confused, and they will eventually become completely controlled puppets!"
"The last emperor of the previous dynasty used this method to control the imperial guards, but it ultimately led to a sharp decline in the army's combat effectiveness and confusion. They were defeated by our dynasty's Taizu emperor in one fell swoop, and ultimately the country was destroyed and the family was ruined!"
"It is precisely for this reason that Emperor Taizu, after ascending the throne, designated the purple marrow mine as a forbidden area, declaring to the world that anyone mining it without permission would be charged with treason!"
Every word of Shen He was like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart hard.
Inside the hall, you can hear a pin drop.
"Your Majesty, if Lu Jiuxiao's confession is not enough."
"Then, I, your servant, have a witness here."
Witness?!
Everyone's heart was in their throat.
Shen He slowly turned around, stretched out her hand, and pulled over Xue Minglan, who had been standing silently beside her, exuding an aura of "keep away from strangers."
"Master Xue."
Shen He's voice was soft, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
"The Empress quietly injected Purple Marrow Powder into her blood, and has been controlling her for many years!"
Everyone in the room was shocked!
Everyone's eyes were focused on Xue Minglan's handsome but gloomy face.
The queen seemed to have heard a huge joke, or as if her deepest fear had been touched upon. She was stunned at first, and then burst into sharp laughter.
"Hahahaha! Ridiculous! This is absolutely ridiculous!"
"Chen He! Are you crazy? How dare you slander me!"
"Xue Minglan is my relative, why would I want to harm him?!"
Chen He looked at her coldly and said word by word:
"Is what I said true..."
Her gaze turned to Xue Minglan, then slowly swept across the imperial doctors in the hall who were silent as a mouse.
"The imperial physician will know the answer once he examines it."
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